Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Using The Glycemic Index To Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Using The Glycemic Index To Lose Weight After Pregnancy

The vast majority of postpartum women will not return to their pre-pregnancy weight without the help of proper nutrition. This article will explain why extreme diets don't work and why the Glycemic Index may be the best long-term solution for postpartum weight loss.

Don't Go To Extremes

There are thousands of "diets" on the market, yet the question still remains: how can we achieve weight loss in the healthiest, most permanent way? Restricting calories too much can shut down metabolism and cause us to gain weight in the long run. Eating "Fat free" can make us hungry all the time and deprives the postpartum body of key nutrients. "High protein/no carbohydrate" diets are unhealthy and can put our bodies at possible risk of liver and kidney damage.

We know going to nutritional extremes doesn't work. Alas, we come back to the age-old method of balance. How we balance carbohydrates, fats, and proteins can make all the difference.

Research shows that unsaturated fats are better than saturated. And proteins such as chicken, fish, and even beans far outweigh red meat as a healthy choice. What about carbohydrates? Which carbohydrates work best for weight loss and energy? Choosing the correct carbohydrates in balance with healthy proteins and fats will help you achieve the healthiest form of weight loss for the postpartum period and beyond.

The Hormonal Response To Food

When we eat, our bodies digest and convert foods into usable forms of energy. The main unit of energy for the body is a sugar called glucose. When people talk about blood sugar levels they are referring to how much glucose is in the bloodstream at a given time.

A stable blood sugar level is important for health and our bodies stimulate hormones to regulate it. If we have too much sugar in our blood, a hormone called insulin is released. Insulin will bring our blood sugar back to an acceptable level, however it also encourages our bodies to convert the excess sugar to fat.

According to Joyce and Gene Daoust, authors of 40-30-30- Fat Burning Nutrition, "It is important that an individual's blood sugar level does not rise too high or too quickly because, if it does, the body reacts by alerting the pancreas. The pancreas then detects the excess glucose and secretes the hormone messenger, insulin, to correct it. Increased levels of insulin force your body to burn glucose for energy and store any excess away as glycogen or fat."

Essentially, insulin promotes the storage of fat in our bodies. To burn fat instead of store it, we should limit the amount of insulin in our blood. The way to do this is by keeping our blood sugar levels from getting too high, too fast. How do we control our blood sugar? Fortunately, there is a tool that will make our job easier.

The Glycemic Index (GI)

The Glycemic Index is a numerical rating scale that measures how fast a particular food can raise blood sugar (glucose) levels in our bodies. At the top of the scale is pure glucose with a rating of 100. All other foods are ranked in a hierarchy along the scale. Foods that break down (convert into glucose) slowly have a low Glycemic rating. Foods that breakdown quickly have a high rating. The Glycemic Index (GI) values of different foods are extremely important, because the speed at which foods are converted into glucose not only affects our insulin levels, but our appetite, cholesterol and blood fats as well.

To Lose Weight, Eat Foods With A Low GI Value

It's that simple. Choose low Glycemic foods and your body is less likely to convert them into fat. For example, you'll notice that eating a cup of All Bran cereal (GI = 51) will sustain you longer than a cup of corn flakes (GI = 84). As you can see, Corn Flakes elevate your blood sugar faster than All Bran.

An apple (GI = 38) will keep you full longer than a piece of watermelon (GI = 72). Because the apple converts to sugar in the blood slowly, your insulin levels will be much lower than if you ate the watermelon. You will also get more sustainable energy over a longer period of time from the apple.

The Glycemic Index and Appetite

Controlling food portions and appetite becomes easier when you understand how the GI of certain foods affects your body.

Typically, high GI foods stimulate appetite by making blood sugar rise and fall quickly, thus creating a feeling of constant hunger. For example, a slice of white bread has a high GI, because it's starches release and digest quickly. When blood sugar rises and falls rapidly, the body is stimulated to eat again. Candy, potatoes, honey, and other refined (processed) grains will have the same affect.

To reduce appetite, eat low GI foods such as beans, vegetables, fruits, and certain whole-grains. They release at a slow, steady pace, keeping you full, energetic and away from the refrigerator! Although most carbohydrates are naturally low in fat, those carbohydrate foods with a low GI index also have more fiber. Low GI foods release energy in the body at a much slower rate, helping you avoid "peaks and valleys" and maintain a steady energy level.

More ways To Reduce GI

Other factors, such as the way foods are prepared can affect the GI. Coarsely ground flour in bread tends to release at a slower rate than extra fine flour. Old-fashioned oatmeal made with fiber-rich rolled oats and natural sugar has a lower GI than the instant version. Even cooking spaghetti less can decrease its Glycemic Index, making the carbohydrate molecules release at a slower rate. In general, the more a food is cooked, the faster it releases sugars and the higher GI it will have.

The same goes for raw fruits and vegetables. The crunchier, the better! It takes the body longer to release and digest raw vegetables, thus converting to sugar slowly and keeping us full longer.

Combining high GI foods with low GI foods will also reduce the speed at which sugar is released in your blood. For instance, if you ate a rice cake (GI = 99) you would have an insulin spike because the rice cake is converted into sugar very fast. However, if you had a tablespoon of peanut butter (GI = 15) with your rice cake, the total GI of the meal is only 57. Yes, the peanut butter adds more calories to the meal, but because you have less insulin in the blood those calories are more likely to be burned instead of being stored as fat.

It's important to note that portion size is a big factor. This article assumes you are not overeating. When you take in way too many calories than you need, your body will certainly store fat. However, if they are low Glycemic calories you would store less fat than if they were high GI calories.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Putting It All Together

Here's a formula for new moms who desire weight loss and high energy. Try to balance all your meals with:

40% of calories coming from low GI carbohydrates

30% from lean protein

30% unsaturated fat

The above ratio has been shown to keep your blood sugar at an optimum level for burning fat instead of storing it. Since protein and fat have naturally low GI's your carbohydrate choice will be the biggest factor in the total GI of your meals.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Sample Day Of Balanced Meals with a GI below 50

Breakfast: Low fat cottage cheese, peaches and raw almonds

Lunch: (water packed) Tuna salad sandwich (Mayo, celery, sweet pickle relish and lettuce), grapes

Snack: String cheese and an apple

Dinner: Grilled salmon, vegetables (Onion, green pepper, zucchini) and salad with low fat dressing, an orange

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The great thing about the Glycemic Index is it's easy to learn. It's the perfect tool for busy new moms. Instead of wondering what to eat, you'll start making smart food choices around low GI foods. Once you combine the power of the Glycemic Index with regular exercise you'll watch those postpartum pounds melt away in no time. You can learn more at www.strollerfit.com

View a Glycemic Index of various foods here:

http://www.strollerfit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=8 501d08c-c199-51b2-7ef0a45d08e1b199

Curt Conrad, CSCS, is Founder and President of DIAMOND CUT, Inc. and StrollerFit Inc. His companies have helped thousands of clients enjoy better life through better fitness. For more great information visit http://www.strollerfit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=8 501d08c-c199-51b2-7ef0a45d08e1b199 and http://www.strollerfit.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=8 501d08c-c199-51b2-7ef0a45d08e1b199

weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.

Android users can now manage apps across multiple devices more easily with Google Play Store's updated remote uninstall button in the latest update.

NASA's Perseverance rover discovers shiny metallic rock on Mars that could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid, containing high levels of iron and nickel.

Using The Glycemic Index To Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Weight Loss